Easy Impressionist Art Painting Tutorial
Add some personality to your walls with this simple tutorial for an easy impressionist painting you can copy!
If you love the look of impressionist art but not the price tag, paint your own! We’re going to show you how to make a seaside inspired easy impressionist painting. Copy the steps below to create a work of art that Monet and Renoir would be proud of!
What is Impressionist Art?
Impressionism is a style of painting developed by French artists in the mid-to-late 19th century. It’s characterized by small, visible brushstrokes that create an “impression” of the form being painted. Some of the most well-known impressionist artists include Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir and Edward Degas. You can learn more about impressionist paintings on the Sotheby’s site here.
Creating Upcycled Impressionist Art
My journey into this attempt started at my local Marshall’s where I was shopping and chanced upon this piece of art which was on sale for $8.
Well I didn’t really care for the artwork since I am not a fan of plants (being a brown thumb and all) but my eye was drawn to the frame. I knew that if I took it home I could get my daughter who is artistic to do something with it, maybe paint something on top of it. I sent her a text, but she rejected my idea.
Well, guess what? I still bought it. I decided that if she would not do it then I would challenge myself to see if I could create a piece of DIY impressionist art. After all it was worth the price of the canvas alone.
When I got it home and took the cardboard edges off I saw that it was in fact plastic but that did not deter me. I forged ahead to create my own landscape impressionism painting.
Materials Needed for this Impressionistic Art Project:
- canvas in a frame 14″ by 18″ or you can use a plain canvas
- masking tape
- various acrylic paints
- sponge brush
- small brushes
Easy Beginner Impressionist Painting to Copy:
I taped off the frame and began working. I ended up applying 6 coats of white acrylic paint to try and hide the Plant artwork. And I still wasn’t able to hide those darn words. Did I say this was going to be easy?
As I’m not talented enough to paint a scene from memory, I searched for a photograph I liked to use as a reference image. I found the one below with beautiful shades of blue and teal.
Hah, I was going to channel by inner Monet! All those years of Art History were finally paying off! Monet specialized in perceptions. If you look at his art you will get an impression of a landscape but if you go up close it is just a bunch of brush strokes. Now that was something I could work with after all I cannot draw realistically to save my life. But I can do brush strokes like a master! “wink”
And so I taped off the canvas into three parts. They were not exact. Using a small stiff brush I applied blue paint here and there, making sure to cover all those offensive letters and this was the result.
I then used a turquoise blue and worked with a sponge brush to create the sky. I just stabbed the brush onto the canvas in short bursts. Sometimes the color got mixed up with the darker blue and the white but that is fine because I was going for a varied effect.
Using a brush I went back and added a bit of red to the blue, this gave me a bit of purple which you can see is prominent in the photograph. Just a hint of it to give the illusion of some clouds.
For the pebbles I used black, white and a combination of the two, plus a hint of blue. Short, fat brush strokes did the trick here.
I went back and added a bit of grey to the sea to give it a bit more depth.
And I was done. I had made sure to keep the horizon straight but the pebbles didn’t need such a straight line. Oh and can you see those pesky letters? NO!!
When I showed it to my artist daughter she said “It turned out better than I expected”. Now that is a compliment of the highest order coming from her!
And my other girl, the one who loves all things blue, immediately asked who would be the proud owner of this lovely impressionist painting… meaning her! So now I’ve got a compliment and a happy daughter!
I have to admit I had a lot of fun creating this Rotho-Monet-esque impressionistic painting! If I was less pressed for time I would have probably thought it through better and created more sea and less pebbles.
I would never have thought I’d be able to paint a piece of art like this. But breaking it down and using the reference image made all the difference. I also stuck to just a few colors which really simplified the process. You will never know what you can accomplish till you try.
Taking this challenge to try new ideas was really good for me even if I was under pressure. I think that now that I have made this Impressionist art painting, next time I will try my hand at a Rothko-esque black and white. Do you have a favorite impressionist painter?
Additional Art Ideas for Beginners:
Oh Mary, that’s stunning. You definitely have talent my friend. I’ve never been able to do pointillism. My silly brain keeps on wanting to join the dots together 😀 And you’ve taken so many lovely photos over the years that you can experiment with too. I have to admit though, I’m not a big fan of Rothko-esque type paintings. I love Rothko’s earlier works but the colored shapes just make me go “Whaaaattt?” I suppose that’s the thing about art, if we connect with it on some level then it’s a work of art, and I do find myself connecting with your picture. It’s dreamy and hazy
Thanks so much Michelle. It was your comment that gave me the idea to try it out because Rothko was not going to work on this messy canvas. But I’m glad I did it. It was a stretch for me and yet it showed me that I can try new things and really enjoy them.
Beautiful work Mary. I wonder why we lose the ability to be fearless, like small kids – they have no inhibitions when it comes to trying something new. I guess it was fate that your daughter wouldn’t do it 🙂 If you weren’t determined to try, you’d never have known you have artistic talent. You’ll probably search out more markdowns now!
Sara you are so right, we become complacent the older we get. Good thing this challenge gave me a kick in the pants. I really enjoyed it and also happily tested the waters with my painting.
Mary, that looks pretty good…very Monet-looking. And it pleased your daughters! High praise indeed. That was brilliant to tape it off in 3 sections. If it had been me, I would have kept painting over & painting over the letters & gotten more frustrated. You did good.
Florence I needed to get that horizon straight. There was no way I could do it freestyle. And now I’m inspired to look for more canvases! 😉
We have a winner here. I like your painting very much. Especially knowing what lies under…haha. You did a great job here explaining how you proceeded at each step plus all the photos as your painting took shape. I am sure your finished art piece will look nice wherever you decide to hang it in your home.
Deborah I had to get rid of that print underneath. I’m so happy I was able to come up with a decent solution. Btw, my daughter has already called dibs on the painting. 🙂
Mary, Your painting is lovely! Happy daughters are always a good thing as well. When I first started working at Harvard University back in 1989, my office was in the Rothko building across from Harvard Yard. It was a beautiful building but the space was much to small for our growing department and we ended up moving to a much larger space a bit further away from the yard, but still a walkable distance. Now that you are in NYC, perhaps you will take a trip to Boston and Cambridge for some walking tours.
Josephine I’m sure Rothko would welcome me with opened arms. I have never been north of Connecticut. So that would definitely be a trip for my bucket list.
Mary I really loved this. You are a true inspiration. My mother paints so good so I may copy the idea of changing a canvas!
Mary it’s gorgeous, well done!! You did an amazing job and I just love those blues. It is a lovely reminder of the blue sky and beach in Greece, isn’t it?
Wow Mary, your artwork is impressive. I have to admit I have never heard about Rothko-esque, but after google him I can say I am not a fan of his art, I prefer Monet by far. And yours let me speechless, it looks as if you’ve done it forever. Of course your daughters loved it too.
You did a fabulous job. I do believe you have found a new vocation, that of artist. I hope you enjoyed it so we can see more paintings.
That came out lovely! It does have a Monet vibe to it for sure. What fun too!
This is so beautiful. You can use this any place in your home. I love the blues. Lately I have been doing coastal decor and I would hang this in my bedroom.
Maria
This is beautiful, Mary. You definitely deserve the compliments from your daughters. And you inspire me to redo some canvases now. Loved your post.
This is beautiful, great job.
Ooh! I really like how your Monet type painting turned out!!! Really pretty and soft. I’m glad your daughter liked it so much and wanted it for her room ~ that’s neat. I wonder since you’d like to have more water and less rocks, could you go back now that it is dry and redo some of the bottom? Just a thought since you’d mentioned it. 🙂
Have a great week and I hope it is beginning to warm up there in NY,
Barb 🙂
haha! I cannot believe six coats of paint wouldn’t cover up those pesky letters. I think it was just meant to be though, because this painting turned out beautifully. It seems like you are just a natural. By the way, I am so flattered you could use my work as inspiration.
Much love,
Erica
Very pretty Mary! I am a much bigger fan of the beach than I am of plants, too. Must be my brown thumb as well. 😉
Beautiful painting Mary! I had to do a Google search on Rothko-esque as well. I am definitely not a fan of his paintings. Monet is much better, and you did an amazing job on yours. It does remind me of some of your Greece photo’s that you’ve shared.
I think that there is nothing you can’t do when you set your mind to it.
Great tutorial and lovely art, Mary! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
WOW! Beautiful artwork! Great tutorial, BTW.
Mary, You’re the new Monet of the 21st Century! Your painting is fabulous. FYI, in the future try using white Gesso or a white primer.
Your painting turned out so pretty! I have no artistic talent when it comes to drawing or painting but I’m very impressed with yours!
Mary, your ‘impression’ of the pic on your laptop morphed into a beautiful painting of personal proportions! Love all your blues, and I believe that you have taken a little bit of Greece with you to the US, as the allure of the Aegean is always with you!
Have a wonderful week,
Poppy
This looks amazing. I have never tried painting, but this is a wonderful tutorial to follow. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday.
Wow, I am impressed! That is beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Party in Your PJs!
This is brilliant Mary, I painted over an old canvas recently it’s such an inexpensive way to make your own art.
With such high praise from your artistic daughter you must be delighted.
Ok my friend! “Mou evales ta gialia” I did not know how to spell it in English 🙂 This is pure art! I’m loving it! I think I will try to do something similar. You gave me some ideas!
Wow Mary, this is really good! Kudos to you for braving uncharted territory. Your daughters got their creativity from somewhere and that would be YOU! Pinned Looking forward to seeing more of your artwork.
Hi Mary!
This is a feature on my blog page for this week’s Merry Monday party! I love the canvas find… I see those on clearance too and always wonder if it will take paint. So good to know a little primer can cover it.
I loved your comment about your daughter’s compliment. I have a recent college grad daughter and I live for those little, itty bitty comments! laura
Mary, your painting is amazing!! You are a wonderful artist!! I hope we see more of your work!!